Campaigners are waiting to hear if there will be an investigation into the way a planning application for Stompond Lane has been dealt with by Elmbridge Borough Council.

The Local Government Ombudsman confirmed that a complaint had been received from the Ashley Road Residents’ Association regarding the application for the site in Walton, which includes homes, a GP surgery and a nursery, but could not confirm yet if an investigation would take place.

The complaint was made on the grounds that the association believed there had been a "catalogue of errors" since the application was first submitted.

These included perceived problems with the site’s transport assessment and a lack of information for public scrutiny.

Plans for the site include a care home and a two-storey office building, plus 30 homes and parking.

Walton and Hersham FC would leave the site and share a new ground with Walton Casuals, to be built on the site of the Casuals’ ground.

A motion to refuse the application, led by Walton Central councillor Chris Sadler, ended in deadlock with 11 votes for and 11 against. Planning chairman Barry Cheyne had the casting vote and voted against Cllr Sadler’s motion to refuse.

A subsequent vote to permit the officer-recommended application was passed by 11 votes to 10.

Opposition

The meeting, held at the Civic Centre in Esher, lasted more than two hours, with the debate touching on parking, traffic flow, loss of sports facilities and the suitability of the care home.

“The scale and proportions of the commercial elements of the proposed developments, especially the care home and office building, would be overly dominant in relation to the residential elements.

“This is simply over-development, out of pro-portion for a residential area such as Stompond Lane.”

Cllr Janet Turner told the meeting: “I have a lot of concerns about the roads.

“This road was built 100 years ago. It hasn’t changed in 100 years. It is still the same as it was then, when we had horses and carts – but now we have large lorries and a lot more traffic.”

Despite 160 letters of objection, however, other councillors supported the application.

Cllr Jan Fuller said: “None of us like change and moving but it is part of life.

“There is a huge number of football clubs that are at the moment going down this route.

“I would like to think this move would give Walton and Hersham a fantastic opportunity, a fantastic new site with a decent pitch which, dare I say, they haven’t got at the moment, with decent stands where they can have a good number of people, which would increase their income.”

John Cutts, chairman of the Ashley Road Residents’ Association, said a response was expected from the ombudsman during the next day or so.

The next stage for the Stompond Lane development will be the submission of a full planning application, which will now be prepared by developers.